DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



Dnmrstic ^Mlm. 



TuE Prize Strawberry. — The prize of 

 $100, offered some three years ago by the Cin- 

 cinnati Hort. Society, has been awarded this 

 season to Mr. McAvoy, a cultivator of that vi- 

 cinity. As Cincinnati is noted as the finest 

 strawberry market in America, and as the hor- 

 ticulturists there are especially acute in straw- 

 berry lore, we naturally look for great merit 

 in this prize production doubly endorsed. The 

 fruit committee, in their report, speak of it as 

 follows: 



" McAvoy's No. 12 Seedling, we propose to 

 call McJlvoy's Superior ; the specimens exhi- 

 bited are superior to Hovey's Seedling, or any 

 other strawberry that came under the exami- 

 nation of the committee, and it is entitled to 

 the premium of $100 offered by this society in 

 1847." 



Seedling Apricots. — It is not a little re- 

 markable, that numerous as are the fine varie- 

 ties of peaches originated in this country, many 

 of them so much better adapted to our climate 

 than any of foreign origin, no one appears to 

 have taken any pains with originating superior 

 new apricots. The only native seedling of any 

 mark that we know — Dubois' Early Golden — 

 is far hardier, and more productive than any 

 foreign sort, if we except the Breda, and there 

 cannot be a doubt that a little pains taken in 

 raising apricot seedlings, would reward us with 

 fine new sorts of this agreeable mid-summer 

 fruit, which would thrive with half the care now 

 bestowed on European sorts — most of which are 

 of tender origin. 



At the present time, the apricot seems to 

 succeed better in portions of Virginia, than in 

 almost any part of the Union. 



Gigantic Strawberries. — We understand 

 from an eye-witness, that Mr. Pell, at his ce- 

 lebrated orchard farm, Pelham, on the Hud- 

 son, has raised the largest strawberries ever 

 grown in the country. The variety was Ho- 

 vey's Seedling. The largest berry weighed 2 

 ounces, and measured 84 inches in circumfe- 

 rence. We hope Mr. Pell will give our read- 

 ers the key to this mammoth size — as we un- 

 derstand it is the result of careful experiment. 



PoMOLOGiCAL CONVENTION. — Dear Sir: In 

 reading the pages of the July Horticulturist, I 

 notice you speak of the next Pomological Con- 

 gress to be held at Philadelphia this coming 

 fall. As this is undoubtedly an oversight on 

 your part, and might not be noticed, without 

 your attention was drawn to it by some one, I 

 desire to remind you, that the meeting at Phi- 

 ladelphia is to be held in the autumn of 1852. 

 Yours respectfully, F. R. Elliott. Cleve- 

 land, O., July 8, 1851. [We thank Mr. E. for 

 correcting the error into which we had inad- 

 vertantly fallen. Ed.] 



CuRCULio Extirpator. — A. J. Downing, 

 Esq.: It has been the study of a great many 

 practical men and amateurs, of late years, to 

 devise some means for the destruction of the 

 curculio; but as yet, I believe, with no consi- 

 derable degree of success. Although I have 

 read in your Journal the reports of various gen- 

 tlemen, stating their entire success in extirpating 

 this insect, I am led to believe their discoveries 

 have not led to any general results. 



I have never as yet seen in the writings of 

 any persons on this subject, any invitation to 

 visit their place, for the public to be convinced 

 of their success. The depredations of this worst 

 of all pest, have attained such a magnitude that 

 I think any party claiming to be able to subdue 

 the curculio, should offer proofs of their theo- 

 ry by saying, '-'come and see, and believe." 

 Occular demonstration is satisfactory to all par- 

 ties. This I suggest, because then no one will 

 be led astray. 



I will now, state to you my experience with 

 the curculio. Being gardener for near 7 years, 

 for Col. T. H. Perkins, Brookline, Mass., one 

 of the best and most extensive private gardens 

 in the country, I was, while there, indefatiga- 

 ble in my exertions to find out some method to 

 exterminate the curculio, but without avail. 



In the year 1848, I left that place, and went 

 south and west. During all that time, the de- 

 struction of the curculio was my principal ob- 

 ject. I was last summer gardener upon the 

 place of Mr. Longworth, and I can with truth 

 assert that there was not two dozen of sound 



